The present invention relates generally to strollers, and more particularly, is directed to an umbrella stroller that can safely hold two infants.
An umbrella stroller is a stroller that folds in half in the lengthwise direction and which has a lower articulated safety spreader bar mechanism connected between the frame halves for holding the frame halves apart and for permitting folding of the frame halves. The umbrella stroller is folded by pivoting the two parts of the lower articulated safety spreader bar mechanism upwardly so that the scissor frames collapse to permit the side frame halves to move together. A locking mechanism is generally associated with the lower articulated safety spreader bar mechanism in order to prevent accidental release of the lower articulated safety spreader bar mechanism. An umbrella stroller of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,645 to the same inventor herein, and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Other types of related strollers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,527,665; 4,529,219; 4,632,421; 4,725,071; and 4,743,043, all to the same inventor herein, and the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Strollers for transporting two infants have been made in two different configurations, namely a side-by-side configuration and a tandem (one in back of the other) configuration. Although side-by-side umbrella strollers are known, umbrella strollers of the tandem type have not been known. As a result, tandem strollers for transporting two infants have conventionally been of the non-umbrella stroller type. This, however, requires a heavy, more complicated assembly than an umbrella stroller, and is therefore, not as easily foldable and transportable.
Further, with all umbrella strollers, the fabric is generally slung between two side supports only. This feature makes the umbrella stroller less complicated than a non-umbrella stroller, but it also diminishes the support for the infant, making the stroller less comfortable, particularly during long periods of time.